Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 144

Developing Characters—Getting Started

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





My daughter has been horseback riding on
the weekends for years now. I love that she loves it, I love the way she excels
at it.  I love that it’s an outdoor
activity in a digital, indoor age.  The
barns are interesting places and the people who hang out in barns are very
different from the people I’m ordinarily around, so that’s very
stimulating.  And, of course, the horses
are gorgeous.

But I really just didn’t get the whole horse thing.  My daughter would talk about the horses while
we were at the barn and continue talking about them during the week.  There was lots of personification going
on...in my mind, anyway.  “Dusty worries
about the jumps when they’re in different locations than usual.  That’s why he kept trying to look at them as
we were cantering around the ring. I had to really make sure he was looking
straight ahead,” she’d say.  And I’d nod
and ask more about Dusty’s proclivities and his outlook on the world, and
think, “What a creative child I have!” 
Because I’d look at Dusty, the largest horse in the barn, and all I got
out of it was… “My Lord, what a massive animal that is.”  And hope she always stayed on the horse.



I’m perfectly capable of telling people
what’s on my dog’s mind and my cats’ minds, but I couldn’t get into the horses’
heads at all.  Until my daughter started
riding Sweet Pea a month or so ago.  That
was when I started getting into horses.

Sweet Pea was curious.  My daughter would be trying to tack her up
and the horse would hear someone coming and crane her head to peer around and
see who was there with this intelligent, interested, curious look on her
face.  She attentively watches  the pasture, when she has a view to it, to
spy on her horse buddies.  Actually, I
guess Sweet Pea is more nosy than
curious.  

With characters, we’re doing the same
thing.  We’re trying to find some way for
readers to connect with them.  How can we
bring them to life, especially if they only have a minor role in a book
(protagonists, hopefully, we’ve got nailed). 
How do we keep our book’s characters from becoming just another horse in
the stable?

I like to start out simple and then build
from there…maybe even in the edits if I don’t have the character
fully-developed as I’m writing him. 
Having something small to build around…like Sweet Pea’s nosiness…is helpful
when you’re starting out on a new book.

At this point and after over a dozen
books, I look for ways to keep characters and plots fresh.  I know writers who’ve written upwards of
sixty or eighty books and I marvel at their ability to keep their books from getting
stale or exploring the same types of characters or subject matter.  Sometimes when I’m brainstorming, it’s almost
as though my brain is trying to follow on the same course…I’ll immediately come
up with something I’ve done before (even if it’s a few books ago) and dig
deeper.

Sometimes, I need a prompt.   Get me started with a direction that’s
different from the well-worn track I’m trying to steer down again.  At that point, going to a site like the Inspiration for Writers site,
can help to just jumpstart your own process. 
There are lists
of character traits there that can just help get your imagination in
gear.  The site Read, Write, Think , a resource for
teachers, also has a
nice sample list.

Sometimes I’ll go on sites like Pinterest…and be careful there, because that place is a major time-suck. Set a
timer.  But you can see so many pictures
of different types of people there that it can help break you out of any
particular pattern that your brain is bent on repeating. People's appearances
in the pictures suggest different types of personalities.

My standby is ‘collecting people’ out in
public.  Just being at the library gives
you the opportunity to see many different types of people—and attitude and
personality tends to show itself easily, even to casual observers (especially
after you do this kind of collecting through the years).

Most of us have written amalgams of
different people we know—family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances.  After a while, though, unless we get out and
meet more people, we’ll have run through
all the folks we know.  At least…I have.
:)  I didn’t know that many people, even
starting out. But making amalgams can be helpful for a while.

You can also twist it around and build a
character from what they want most. 
Because sometimes, what someone wants most suggests certain traits about
them.  If what someone wants most is
money, for instance…it's easy to dream up particular traits for them.  What if it’s respect, power, love,
friendship, shelter, faith?

What if you dump a bunch of
challenges/problems on some of these characters?  How they react to that and deal with it will
indicate some of their traits…traits that can also be shown in other parts of
their life and relationships with others in the story.

So…lots of different ways of doing
this.  And this is just getting us
started…the next drafts we can add to the skeleton first draft and fill them
out even more.  The whole point is just
to make the characters stand out from each other to readers and make it more
likely that readers will foster connections with them and relate to them and
just plain get them like I finally got
Sweet Pea.

How do you set your characters apart from
each other and provide them with unique traits and personalities? 

Twitterific

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig







Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming)
which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search
engine for writers.




Check out the new
resource for writers.  It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure
Writer’s Support Group website.  There you’ll find pages of links to
resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing,
marketing, contests, and publications for writers.




Friend and fellow
mystery writer Margot
Kinberg has put together a crime fiction anthology: In
a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails
for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess
Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend
to the crime writing community.  One of
my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction.
:) 




Have a great week!




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Creating 'sliding doors' for our
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Writing to a Theme

By
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





A few years ago, I got an email from a
middle school student.  What was the
theme of my book?

At first I was just a little startled
that students just wrote authors about this kind of thing.  It would never have occurred to me to do
that…but then, I guess the internet wasn’t around at that point, either (at least,
not to the general public).

And then
I was startled when I realized that…hey, the book in question didn’t really
have much of a theme.  Maybe that’s why
the kid was having such a hard time. :) 
I mean, you could go with a ‘good will triumph over evil’ type of
thing.  It was basically general crime
fiction. 



Now my Myrtle Clover series does have a regular theme throughout all the
books and aside from any other thematic elements in each separate book.  Don’t discount the elderly.   If you do, Myrtle might be walloping you
with her cane.  Or revealing you as the
book’s murderer.

After that moment and that email, I
started paying a bit more attention to theme in my books.  For one thing…heaven forbid I have another
student asking me about it. :)  For another…it
was fun incorporating it in a subtle way.

I do think that subtle is key with
themes.  Hitting a reader over the head
with a theme is almost like author intrusion.

I’ve made interesting discoveries along
the way in my efforts to add this literary element to my books.  Let’s take my current project…the one that
I’ve felt I was behind on since it started a couple of months ago.  The one where the teaser was due before the
outline.  (Ugh.)  Now the book has, believe it or not, a cover
and back cover copy.   And I’m not done
with the book yet, although I plan to be basically done in the next 3
weeks…it’s due January 1.

My editor, after reviewing my outline,
included some special requests in her feedback. 
In particular, she wanted me to incorporate some subplots involving some
recurring supporting characters that she felt readers were especially fond of.

So I brainstormed updates, conflicts in
their lives, growth, some ways that their issues might also intersect with the
main plot and the protagonist’s own arc. 


And I’m wondering if, with theme, it’s
just that the author tends to have something on the brain and it starts coming
out in various ways in a book.

For me, it was the question of whether
people can change…really change.  What
chance do we have to really change our personality, our habits, and our
tendencies for the better?  This is a fun
theme to explore because change is such an important element in every
story.  Every time the protagonist or
secondary characters can grow or change in some way, it’s going to add to the
story.

So I approached change in a lot of
different ways in the book.  I have
characters question whether the victim in the book had really changed his
stripes before he was murdered (as he swore he had). I have a character who
fears change and struggles as she tries to adapt to a new relationship.  I’ve got a character who feels as if she should change, although she’s comfortable with
herself the way she is. What are the reactions of characters to other
characters’ changes…do they recognize them for what they are?  Are they threatened by them?  Are they disbelieving that change can be
genuine and successful?

Obviously, writing to a theme is more
effective if the theme is integrated into the main plot and impacts the
protagonist, too.

Have you ever used exploration of theme
as story development or character development? 
How did it go? 

Preparing for a Panel

By Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig






Tomorrow, November 14, I’m on a panel for
the Get Read online conference—a
conference that’s all about helping writers learn more about effective
marketing.

My panel is “Publishing Your Way To
Success.” The description:

The core
thing that connects writers to readers is the stories you craft – be it
fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry or any form of writing. In this session, we
explore how releasing new work can grow and more deeply engage your audience.


It panel runs for about 40 minutes and
starts at 1:45 p.m. ET.

I tend to enjoy panels, although
as a rule, I’m not fond of public speaking. 
Panels are easier for me and I get a lot from listening to the other
speakers…occasionally to the point where I forget what the original question
was and have to ask for it to be repeated when it’s my turn.

A good panel is the result of good
moderation.  I’ve been on panels before
where the moderator lost control of the panel—we veered wildly
off-subject, ran out of time for audience questions, and once didn’t even have a chance for
everyone on the panel to talk. 

I remember one panel I was on, years
ago.  I felt good about it.  I sold my books at the end of the panel and
one of the audience members came up to me and said confidentially, “I felt so,
so sorry for you.”  She patted me on the hand.

I gaped at her in horror.  Had I had some sort of horrid wardrobe
malfunction?  Why on earth did no one let
me know?  Then she said, “You know.  Because that one person went on and on and
you didn’t get a chance to speak.”

Oh. 
Well, even though I assured her that the panel hog hadn’t bothered me at all and I never care if I don’t get
as much of an opportunity to speak…it had certainly bothered her.  And since then I’ve noticed that folks in the
audience do look uncomfortable when one person is speaking at the expense of
the other panelists.  A good moderator reins in a chatty speaker.

I’ve done online interviews quite a few times before, but
this online panel will be a first for
me.  Dan
Blank, the conference organizer, is using an application called BigMarker to run the conference. I tried
it out a couple of times and found it very easy to use the
interface.  You can listen in as an
audience member without video or audio, or turn it on as a panelist.   There’s even a button you can press to
‘raise your hand’ to indicate to the moderator that you have a question.  And a chat box on the side of the screen.

I did warn Dan that I likely wouldn’t be
able to chat, listen to the other panelists, and recognize when it was my turn to talk. :)  My
multi-tasking has limits.

Here are
my tips for being on in-person panels:

Find out the book selling protocol at the conference. Are we allowed to sell our books at the
event, after the panel?  Is the
conference buying the books through a bookseller or are we responsible for
bringing our own books? If we bring our own books, we need to know that crucial fact in enough time to order some copies.

Be conscious of over-promoting while on
panels.  It tends to stand out if we
bring up our book title every time we answer a question or have all of our
titles on the table in front of us during the panel.  I usually have one or two books, tops, on the
table (if the conference even allows them).

Ask how they handle book selling.  Sometimes you sell
books right after your panel in the same room, sometimes you go to a commons
area outside of the room, sometimes you have a special area to report to at a
specific time.

It’s also important to know if someone
else handles the purchases while you sign, or if you’re signing and ringing up customers. (Which is a nightmare for me…I tend to get
flustered.)  If you’re not sure, best to
come with a calculator and with extra dollars to make change with.

I’ve watched panels, as an audience
member, where panelists were thinking so hard about how they were going to
answer the question that they didn’t appear to be listening to the other
panelists as they spoke.  Definitely
doesn’t look good.

Sometimes,
the conference forgets to supply water. I like to have a small water bottle
with me, just in case.

Online
conferences/panels:

Well, your guess is as good as mine.  But I do have general tips for doing Skype
and other interviews, and you can find
the post here.  Mainly, I make sure
the lighting is good (artificial lighting is usually better than sunlight),
that the audio and the camera are working, 
that I put the animals away so they won’t jump into view of the camera
or bark, and find/wear my makeup...which
is, as I recall, in the children’s bathroom since it was last used to help with
special effects for their Halloween costumes.

Any tips for panels?  Things I missed?

Thoughts On a 99 Cent Sale

by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





It’s been a very long time since I’ve
sold anything at 99 cents.  I’d read
some blog posts that advised against it. 
I’d heard readers say that it was tough finding anything good at 99
cents.

Then I started reading those same
things…but it was now arguing against a $1.99
cent price point.  The best, most recent
examination I’ve got on the subject is this post by writer Molly Greene: “Ebook Pricing: What’s The
Perfect Number?”  

The entire post is
worth a read.  Here is an excerpt where
Molly quotes Smashwords CEO and
founder Mark Coker on
various price points:




Per Coker, “I see untapped opportunity [at the $3.99
price point], where indies may be able to raise prices but not suffer unit
decline.” He concludes “some authors are underpricing.” Smashwords data also
reveals …

$.99
remains popular, but shows a big drop compared to their 2012 study.


$.99 to
$1.99 underperforms in terms of earnings. (Per Coker, $1.99 is “a black
hole.”)
$2.99 is
the most common price point with indies.
$2.99 to
$6.99 is the sweet spot for maximum earnings.
Indies
have virtually abandoned the $9.99 price point compared to 2012’s study.


I totally agree about the problems
surrounding the $1.99 pricing.  I may
have listed a book at that price once, briefly, but I yanked it out of there
quickly.

Personally, I’ve found that keeping one
of my books free is helpful.  I
currently have the two most recently self-published books at $3.99, where they
tend to still sell well, and an older title at $2.99.  (And yes, one of my books is currently free,
as usual.)

I can’t really even remember the last
time I ran a book at $.99, which must mean it was a couple of years ago.  Since I have a book for free, I didn’t
really see the point of running another book so low.

But I decided I’d run a very, very short
99 cent experiment.  It was, actually,
fewer than 24 hours long. I figured January was always a nice time to have a
small spike of income (January being the month I’d receive income from
November sales).  If there was a spike.  Sales have been steady for me this fall and
I’ve not really seen that slump I’ve been hearing about, so I decided to give
it a go and run it for my latest title.

The nice
thing, though, about running a 99 cent sale is that you have a degree of
control over the start and end of the sale. 
When I make a book free, for instance, I’m listing it as free on
Smashwords, then allowing Amazon to price match that price.  Sometimes, it takes days for Amazon to catch
on.  Then, when I’m ready to shift the
free sale to another book, I raise the price on Smashwords.  Sometimes it takes the various retailers
days to get the message to raise the price (Sony, I’m looking at you).  So Amazon continues to match the free price
while it’s still getting the message that some retailer out there continues to
list it at $0.  I don’t have complete
control over the start and stop of that promotion.

For a $.99 sale, I just click over
to my book’s Kindle Direct Publishing bookshelf and adjust the price to
$.99.  Amazon has a pop-up window with a
disclaimer that it may take as many as twelve hours for the change to take
effect.  It only took a couple of
hours. 

I ran the sale on a newer title and
watched as it cracked the top 2,000 of the Amazon bestseller list—before the
sale, it was bouncing between the top 8,000—12,000.  Then I went back into the bookshelf and
raised the price to $3.99 again.

“Bait and switch?” asked my husband,
eyebrows raised and trying to figure out what I'd done, when I told him that the books were selling like hotcakes at
$3.99.

“No a bit.  I didn’t falsely advertise one
price and make the reader pay a higher one. I just paid for brief visibility.”


And that’s what it feels like to me—that
I’ve sacrificed income for visibility. 
And the sales for the other titles also increased. 

This sale occurred on Friday night
through Saturday afternoon.  Writing
this on Sunday afternoon, the book is still in the top 4,000.  This type of thing is clearly good for a spike in sales instead of a long-term
strategy.  Regardless, I’m sure I’ll be
glad to get the proceeds when the Christmas bills arrive in January. :)

Now, of course, this won’t work out as well for everyone.  And not everyone
will want to list a book that they’ve invested a lot of time and energy in at
$.99, even temporarily.  But for someone
who might have several self-published books out (I have four right now) and
who wants the ability to control the dates of a sale—this might be a good
experiment to try.

Have you experimented with the price
points for your books?  What is your
comfort zone, in terms of pricing? 

Image: MorgueFile: imelenchon

Twitterific

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming)
which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search
engine for writers.




This
week-- November 13-14:  Get
Read – Marketing Strategies for Writers:
Dan
Blank’s We Grow
Media is a  two-day online conference for
authors looking for promotion strategies--and, ultimately, readers.  Speakers include Porter Anderson,
Chuck
Wendig, Dan Blank, Jane Friedman,
Therese
Walsh, and many others.  (I'm one of the scheduled speakers and am
also am serving on the advisory board.) 
More information about the conference and registration information can
be found here.







If you use the
discount code elizabeth, you receive $20
off the conference price.




Check out the new
resource for writers.  It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure
Writer’s Support Group website.  There you’ll find pages of links to
resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing,
marketing, contests, and publications for writers.




Friend and fellow
mystery writer Margot
Kinberg has put together a crime fiction anthology: In
a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails
for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess
Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend
to the crime writing community.  One of
my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction.
:) 




The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search

How to nail NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/cT3Ej @nailyournovel

Ways of approaching setting in your
novel: http://dld.bz/cT3En @Diana_Hurwitz

Why Writing Alternate History is Both
Awesome and Soul Crushing: http://dld.bz/cT3Er
@corsetscutlass @_ElizabethMay

5 Signs You Are Reading Too Much YA: http://dld.bz/cTzU3 @mittenstrings

Writers and the Optimal-Child-Count
Spectrum: http://dld.bz/cTzUF
@Rebeccamead_NYC @pageturner

Don't let your story stall: http://dld.bz/cT4QB @lindasclare

Crime fiction--learning about suspects by
looking at their living space: http://dld.bz/cT65F
@mkinberg

Self-publishing--breaking into the solid
German book market: http://dld.bz/cTAFj
@porter_anderson  @thecreativepenn
@mmatting

Lessons learned from launching book two
in a series: http://dld.bz/cTJDw @PAShortt

A co-publishing effort in Italy and its
results: http://dld.bz/cTCwS @Porter_Anderson
@marcellovena @MikeShatzkin

3 signs you should give up on a story: http://dld.bz/cTDbt @KMWeiland @Porter_Anderson

A closer look at ebook subscription
services'  business model (Oyster,
Scribd): http://dld.bz/cTGwm @MarkCoker
@Porter_Anderson

30 Inspiring Quotes on Writing and
Creativity: http://dld.bz/cTzUP @ADDerWORLD

Creative Mind Mapping for Novelists: http://dld.bz/cTzUY @livewritethrive

Self-Publishing: The Business License: http://dld.bz/cTzUZ @nataliewhipple

5 ways to overcome the limitations of 1st
person POV: http://dld.bz/cTzWb @yeomanis

Tips For Writing A Better First Scene: http://dld.bz/cT4Ta @lindasclare

The Lee Strasberg Method School of
Writing: http://dld.bz/cT4TR @hilarydavidson

Customizing Genre: http://dld.bz/cT4TU @publisherswkly

Lecture series on YouTube offers tips for
better writing from author @BrandSanderson: http://dld.bz/cT4Uf

Six Ways To Describe A Character In First
Person: http://dld.bz/cT4Ux @Writers_Write

Write something crummy today: http://dld.bz/cT4Uy @lindasclare

Tips for keeping your character in
character: http://dld.bz/cT4U3

Inside Inner Conflict: http://dld.bz/cT4U7 @mooderino

The Art of Paragraphs: When to Hit Enter:
http://dld.bz/cT4UT @LaurieBoris

Describing a Character's Physical
Appearance: http://dld.bz/cT4Vb
@angelaackerman

Tips for managing more writing time: http://dld.bz/cT4Vm

What Writing the Second Novel Is Really
Like: http://dld.bz/cT4V3 @JulieWuAuthor

Tips for keeping readers reading: http://dld.bz/cT4VK @susanmeier1

10 Social Media Apps that Save Writers
Time: http://dld.bz/cT4Y2 @ninaamir

5 editing tips: http://dld.bz/cT4YA @JackieKessler

On Diversity and Character Depth: http://dld.bz/cT4YC @literaticat

Know when to show, not tell: http://dld.bz/cT4YD @lindasclare

Twitter Tips for Writers That Will Help
You Get the Most Out of the Network: http://dld.bz/cT4YZ
@thewritelife

Where to Find Free Premium WordPress
Themes: http://dld.bz/cT4Zb @blogherald
@wonderwall7

Quick Manuscript Editing Tips: http://dld.bz/cT4Zn @iulienel @fantasyscroll

The One Thing You Must Do Before Taking
Writing Advice: http://dld.bz/cT4ZA
@storyaday

Will publishers accept a previously
self-published novel? http://dld.bz/cT4ZN
@nicolamorgan

Parting Ways with Your Agent: http://dld.bz/cScNP @ElisabethWeed

Plot twists keep readers guessing: http://dld.bz/cT6N2 @lindasclare

Success and Writing—What Keeps Us Going: http://dld.bz/cT6N7

Quality trumps quantity when it comes to
connecting with readers: http://dld.bz/cT6QP
@danblank

What makes NaNo good for writers? http://dld.bz/cT6Rd @ava_jae

How to Overcome RSI While Building Your
Dream Writing Career: http://dld.bz/cT6YM
@anca1268

7 People Who Will Help You Fire Up Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cT6Zh

How To Reduce Reader Fatigue: http://dld.bz/cT6Zk @ashkrafton

Ins and outs of pen names: http://dld.bz/cT6Zp @kristinerusch

Deepen your protagonist by giving him a
world view: http://dld.bz/cT7aF @DonMaass
@writerunboxed

A writer's experience with BookBub: http://dld.bz/cT7bR @ChesterCampbell

Common typos to avoid: http://dld.bz/cT7ca @MiladyDewinter

Start a New Novel in 22 Easy Steps: http://dld.bz/cT7cj @donnagambale

How to write a 5-minute Story: http://dld.bz/cT7cn @sheiladeeth

Tips for giving your story originality: http://dld.bz/cT7cx @Saumya35

Unclear Transitions: http://dld.bz/cT7c7 @Ross_B_Lampert

Dialogue as "character
communication": http://dld.bz/cT7cC
@gointothestory

Tips for busting writer's block: http://dld.bz/cT7cH

3 Ways To Build a Healthy Writing
Routine: http://dld.bz/cT7cP @galleycat

Playing with Story Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7da

Scene Pacing: Balancing the
"Beats": http://dld.bz/cT7dd-
@lindasclare

7 Tips for Amazon Keywords and Best
Selling Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vg
@passivevoiceblg

What scriptwriters should know: http://dld.bz/cSbyq @scriptmag @LeeZJessup

The Three-Act, Eight Sequence Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7v2 @AlexSokoloff

Why Writing is a Partnership: http://dld.bz/cT7v5 @Woollz

The current state of self-publishing: http://dld.bz/cT7vB @jamesscottbell

Seven Tips for Writing How-to Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vD @Writers_Write

What To Do If Your Plot Doesn't Hang
Together: http://dld.bz/cT7vP @raindance

7 Twitter tips for writers: http://dld.bz/cT7vU @wherewriterswin

Supplementing Your Blog With Expert
Guests: http://dld.bz/cT7vY @BloggingTipsCom

Balancing Inner/Outer Conflicts: http://dld.bz/cT7wd @lindasclare

Count Your Rejection Letters Proudly: http://dld.bz/cT7wk @galleycat

When you're a fiction writing professor: http://dld.bz/cT7wt @glimmertrain

5 Tips for New Authors: http://dld.bz/cT8hx @StacyClaflin

How the world's most creative people get
their ideas: http://dld.bz/cT8hD

5 Ways to Untangle Plot: http://dld.bz/cT8hH @awesome_dawn

Why Writerly Words Are Not Your Friend: http://dld.bz/cT8hM

Adding magic to the real world: http://dld.bz/cT9rN @JCareyAuthor @lytherus

Categorizing your book into a genre: http://dld.bz/cT9rP @passivevoiceblg

The popularity of Black Science Fiction
is rising: http://dld.bz/cT9rS
@StaffordBattle

Tips for avoiding the self-pubbed look: http://dld.bz/cT9rU @PaulaatAME

Publicists aren't wizards: "I can
get it there but I can't make them love it": http://dld.bz/cT9sh
@PJNunn

How Silence About the Realities of
Publishing Hurts Authors: http://dld.bz/cT9st
@KameronHurley @locusmag

11 types of plots: http://dld.bz/cT9s3 @shalvatzis

4 Tips to Solve 99% of Your Writing
Problems: http://dld.bz/cT9tq @Janice_Hardy

3 tricks to sharpen your proofreading
eye: http://dld.bz/cT9tw @LaurelGarver

The Novelist's Guide to Writing (Only)
What you Know: http://dld.bz/cT9t4
@cdivakaruni

5 Ways to Make Your Novel Unforgettable: http://dld.bz/cT9tA @victoriamixon

Thoughts on Social Reading and Other
Intrusions: http://dld.bz/cTDgJ

Hashtags for writers: http://dld.bz/cTDgP @AdriennedeWolfe

How to Use Scrivener's Cork Board: http://dld.bz/cTDgU @ava_jae

5 1/2 Reasons You Should Kill a Draft
Blog Post: http://dld.bz/cTDgX @copyblogger
@demianfarnworth

5 Reasons You Should Take Questions From
Your Audience: http://dld.bz/cTDgZ
@RobBiesenbach

How to Create Your First Invoice as a
Freelancer: http://dld.bz/cTDhq @carefulcents

3 objectives of a proposal (and how they
can motivate you after a writing break): http://dld.bz/cTDhx
@AngieDicken

3 Easy Tips For Better Email Interviews: http://dld.bz/cTDhz @ticewrites

Which eBook Publishing Platform is Best? http://dld.bz/cTDh8 @KristenEckstein

How Not to Fire an Agent: http://dld.bz/cTDhN @byDougRich @scriptmag

12 Things That Will Happen in Your 1st 3
Months of Blogging: http://dld.bz/cTDjc
@lindadessau

Simple is the Key to Telling a Story: http://dld.bz/cTDj3 @SouthrnWritrMag

Setting Up a Blog Tour: http://dld.bz/cTDj6 @DavidBCoe

Considerations when setting up a website:
http://dld.bz/cTDjH @fictorians

4 Tips for Dealing with Plot Holes: http://dld.bz/cTD5e @RinelleGrey

10 Tips For Utilizing WordPress To Start
Your Website: http://dld.bz/cTD5h @Firmology

Scene Arcs: http://dld.bz/cTD5r

The Request to Revise and Resubmit: http://dld.bz/cTD5V @JulieEshbaugh

How To Conduct a Live Facebook Author
Interview: http://dld.bz/cTD6r @MsBessieBell

When Fear Is a Good Thing for Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cTD6E @Christi_Craig

How to Plot With the Three-Act Structure:
http://dld.bz/cTD6H @janice_hardy

Deep POV Basics: http://dld.bz/cTD9v

It's Hard to Trust the Process: http://dld.bz/cTD9K @fictionnotes

Good advice 1 writer finds hard to
follow: http://dld.bz/cTD9R @tmAlexander

Fight for unabridged audio rights: http://dld.bz/cTDAh @thebookseller

3 Ways To Build a Healthy Writing
Routine: http://dld.bz/cT7cP @galleycat

Scene Pacing: Balancing the
"Beats": http://dld.bz/cT7dd -
@lindasclare

What scriptwriters should know: http://dld.bz/cSbyq @scriptmag @LeeZJessup

The Three-Act, Eight Sequence Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7v2 @AlexSokoloff

The current state of self-publishing: http://dld.bz/cT7vB @jamesscottbell

Seven Tips for Writing How-to Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vD @Writers_Write

The popularity of Black Science Fiction
is rising: http://dld.bz/cT9rS
@StaffordBattle

How risk averse publishers kill trends: http://dld.bz/cTGCd @JanetKGrant

Ways Novelists Can Brainstorm Plot and
Scenes: http://dld.bz/cTGCk @livewritethrive

How to switch point of view without
confusing the reader: http://dld.bz/cTGCq
@nailyournovel

10 Steps to a Creating a Book Launch
Team: http://dld.bz/cTGC2 @anitahigman

Top 20 Literary Quotes About Short
Stories: http://dld.bz/cTGC9 @amandaonwriting

Benefits of having a publicist: http://dld.bz/cTGCE

Adapting a book to film--What Stanley
Kubrick got wrong about "The Shining": http://dld.bz/cTGCJ
@salon @magiciansbook

Despite competition from digital
entertainment, there are young readers excited about books: http://dld.bz/cTGEr

An explanation of show, don't tell: http://dld.bz/cTGFR @maria_mckenzie

18 Months of Social Media: One Writer's
Progress Report: http://dld.bz/cTGGh

25 Questions To Ask As You Write: http://dld.bz/cTGGn @chuckwendig {lang}

How Literary Agents' Responsibilities and
Compensation are Changing: http://dld.bz/cTGG4
@chrisrobley

Top Writing Tips for Self-Published
Authors: http://dld.bz/cSbvW @PublishersWkly

3 Ways to Use Dialogue to NAIL Great
Characters: http://dld.bz/cTGG7 @niniehammon

Conscious writing: http://dld.bz/cTGJX

Overcoming Writing Road Blocks: http://dld.bz/cTGKe

Science Fiction Romance vs Romantic
Suspense: http://dld.bz/cTK4P @dmburton72

The better way to self-publish: http://dld.bz/cTK4U @author_sullivan

Why Facebook Contests Really Do Work: http://dld.bz/cTK5e @lizstrauss

6 Tools That Stop Computer Distractions
and Help You Stay on Task: http://dld.bz/cTK5m
@Trekity

How we present ourselves plays into our
brand: http://dld.bz/cTK55 @fictorians

Why Getting Some Negative Reviews Can Be
Positive: http://dld.bz/cTK58 @jodyhedlund

Romantic, Thinker, Skeptic: Using
Personality Types to Flesh out Your Character: http://dld.bz/cTK5D

Power Up Your Prose With Poetic Devices: http://dld.bz/cTK5R @martinaaboone

It's better not to imagine ourselves as
successful: http://dld.bz/cTK5W @sharww

Completing Your Novel Plot

Guest Post by Jack Smith



At some point in drafting a novel, you
will probably see the need to add more actions or events to complete the
plot.  You know the story isn’t
complete.  You may need to rethink where
your story is going.  Try this process:

Write a
brief summary of each chapter.  This is
time-consuming, but once you have concise summaries, you will be able to
see your novel’s overall direction more easily.  Sure, you can read and reread your novel
itself, but sometimes you can forget what happened first, second,
etc. 


Brainstorm
more conflicts to complete the plot.  I do say
“brainstorm” because you can’t be sure these conflicts will work until you
get back to the writing itself.  
Will they work once you dig back into your characters?  Would your character do this, do
that?  Hard to say.  Don’t force it.  But try it out, and maybe your character
will end up doing something even more interesting and compelling. 


Decide where
these conflicts go.  Here again, this is tentative.  You might decide to include a given
conflict in Chapter Three, but really it will work out better in Chapter
Six or Seven, or Ten.   But for now,
write down where the conflict might go.  
Choose a colored type (red maybe?) so it’s easy to spot these
tentative places to include tentative new conflicts.
Add your new
conflicts to your novel manuscript.  It might be
best to re-read your novel up to the point where you intend to add new
material—to get back in the swing of the work.  To get a sense for the mood and tone at
this point.   Once you’re ready to
include new conflict material, let your imagination take over.  Get back into your characters.  See them, hear them speak, let it
happen.


Plot usually doesn’t fall out of the sky
and arrive fully intact.  It takes doing
and redoing.  This is only one process
you might follow.  You might need to go
through this process one or more times. 
Once you’ve done so, re-read your entire novel and see if it’s
complete.  Don’t depend entirely on
logic.  Does it sound and feel complete?



Jack Smith is author of the novel Hog to Hog , which won the George Garrett Fiction Prize (Texas Review Press. 2008), and is also the author of  Write and Revise for Publication: A 6-Month Plan for Crafting an Exceptional Novel and Other Works of Fiction , published earlier this year by Writer’s Digest

Over the years, Smith’s short stories have appeared in North American Review, Night Train, Texas Review, and Southern Review, to name a few. He has also written some 20 articles for Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, as well as a dozen or so pieces for The Writer.




He has published reviews in numerous literary journals, including Ploughshares, Georgia Review, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, American Review, Mid-American Review, and the Iowa Review.


Smith taught full-time at North Central Missouri College for some 24 years, and  has also served as Fiction Editor for The Green Hills Literary Lantern, an online literary journal published by Truman State University, for over two decades. Learn more about Jack and his work in the November 1 edition of PIF magazine.

Thoughts on Social Reading and Other Intrusions

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A couple of months ago, I read an
interesting post on social reading: Is Social Reading the End of an Intimacy?  Porter Anderson
discussed the topic on Jane
Friedman’s blog for his Writing on the Ether
weekly column there (excellent coverage of publishing industry topics
there, if you haven’t checked it out). 

I’ve kept thinking about the post, since
this social aspect keeps slipping into ebooks I’ve been reading.  I’ve gotten used to the underlined passages,
for instance, although they startled me the first few ebooks I read.  The fact that I’ve gotten used to them is
what makes me think about Porter’s post.


The underlined passages may not be such a
huge deal, but as Porter put it, it could get more extensive:

“I’m
imagining pop-up notes nudging me with other readers’ bright ideas; reviews
rolling all over the place; and marginalia marching around the glowy screen of
my preferred tablet reading device.”

What does
bother me (and this is device intrusion, not specifically social media):

When my Kindle tells me that I have 5
minutes left in my chapter. My device has been timing my reading and applies it
to unread text.  This is my device
interacting with me.  It makes me feel as
if I’m racing the clock…and since I definitely don’t need to be reminded how
very little free time I have, it gives me a harried feeling.  Clearly, I need to turn this feature off (now
to figure out how to do that).

What
doesn’t bother me:

Seeing a request at the end of the book
to like a book on Facebook, tweet about it, or buy the next book.  I don’t do any of those things, but I don’t
mind seeing the request.  But I read on a
survey in the last year (tried to find the survey and can’t, darn it) that
readers frequently feel irritated when they get these requests at the end of a
book… that reading should be a sanctuary from social media.

Underlined passages don’t bother me. With
my Kindle in hand, I’ve been at book club and watched as folks have fumbled
through their printed books, looking for just the right passage to illustrate
their point.  I’m able to immediately
find that passage because the thing has been underlined by 500 people.  Not wanting to be a know-it-all, I just wait
for them to find their spots.

Underlined passages are also useful for
writers—these underlined spots create helpful research as to favorite scenes
and what worked for readers.  You can
check out the ones readers underlined on your book’s page on Amazon. 

What
sometimes bothers me:

Reader comments while I’m reading a book…this bothers me.  And you’d think it wouldn’t, with my
background. For the record, I’m the daughter of a now-retired high school
English teacher. For my first twenty-two years, I rarely read a book that
didn’t have annotations in the margins or underlined passages (unless they were
library books).  I do believe it may have
warped me because I write in nearly all of my print books.  But Daddy’s notes were a teacher’s notes and
I found them insightful.  I don’t have
the same interest in other readers’ marginalia.

But! 
I don’t mind reading notes after
I’m finished with a book, when I’ve already drawn conclusions for myself.  Then I do like to read others’ opinions and
analyses. Book club meetings have maybe softened me up for some forms of social reading in my
ebooks.  But only on my own terms and
only after I’m done with a novel. 

What’s
probably key with social reading, from a publisher/developer perspective:

Porter hit the nail right on the head
here, for me: “And our busy developers gussying
up social reading platforms need provide us with an escape. An OFF button. I
will use it. Indeed, if I can’t turn off these fine features when I want to,
I’ll be as anti-social in reading as I am (some tell me) in life.”

Yes. 
I have to be able to turn it all off. I have to turn off highlighters,
forget about annotations, and not “share” at the end of the book unless I darn
well want to.  I can’t deal with too much
clutter in the margins. And I’m with Porter about hearing blather from
readers—inconsequential information that has nothing to do with the book.  I’d want more insightful comments…sometimes.  And sometimes maybe I want to just read and
be by myself with my thoughts.

As a writer, though, I’ve noticed the
fact that I have gotten used to some of
this intrusion, as I mentioned earlier in the post.  This makes me think that our future will
feature books that are a lot more interactive in a social way.  If I can so easily get used to it in my
middle age, my kids accept it as a matter of fact.  Although I feel somewhat divided on this, I
have a feeling that it will be one of many ways we keep writing and reading
relevant to a new, computer-native generation.

How do you feel about social
reading?  




******


Friend and fellow mystery writer Margot Kinberg has put together a crime fiction anthology: In a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend to the crime writing community.  One of my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction. :) 
 

Image: MorgueFile: Alvimann

 

Success and Writing—What Keeps Us Going

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

In many ways, I’m the biggest lurker out
there.  I do try to comment on friends’
blogs, but for the vast majority of the blogs I visit in a week (which is in
the hundreds), I skim and share. 

Some of what I see and have seen over the
years makes me sad.  I’ve seen writers
talk about how beaten-down they’ve been from the rejection cycle, from reader
reviews, from lack of family support or publisher support. I’ve seen a lot of
self-doubt and a lot of people quitting. 


Interestingly, though, I’ve seen a lot of
writers who blogged that they were quitting writing only to pop back on the
scene months later.  They couldn’t stop.


I understand where they’re coming
from.  I have over 450 customer reviews
on Amazon for at least two of my books.   I’d say at
least one or two out of every four or five is a real stinker.  The worst are the ones that you get
absolutely no helpful feedback from whatsoever—hey, at least give me something
to correct, y’all. What didn’t you
like?  I’m always
searching for ways to improve.  Did a
character seem flat to you? Ending wasn’t believable?  Protagonist was unsympathetic?  Is there some sort of takeaway, some sort of
actionable tip that I can get from this wretched review?  For heaven’s sake…just let me know.

What keeps me going are the three or four
out of every five reviews who enjoy the books and take the time to write a
customer review to say so. I can totally understand writing a review for
something you dislike (you’re angry you
wasted your valuable time), but it’s a real gift when readers write a positive
review.  Similar to the negative reviews,
it’s also helpful if they pick out what they do like so much—so that I can provide
more of it next time.

It’s human nature to feel more motivated
to complain about something that bothers you than to praise something that you
enjoyed or that worked well. This was brought home to me last week.  My son is in the process of researching
college review websites where students and alum write in or are videoed talking
about their school.  A large number of
the hundreds of reviews are negative, no matter what college he looks at.  I reminded him—kids who are unhappy with
their school are more likely to put it on the record than someone who’s
enjoying a mostly positive experience.

We can’t only focus on our reviews and
our sales stats.  Ultimately, many of us
write for ourselves.  Even if all my
readers abandoned me tomorrow, I’d still be writing.  Writing isn’t only a habit, it’s a way of
looking at the world.  That lens is
always there.  I write about the things I
see, the things I don’t see, the things I wish I saw, the things I’m glad I
don’t see.  I’m sure if I weren’t writing
these things down, I’d end up talking to myself, spilling over with all the
ideas that rattle around in my head and all the different character voices that
chirp up.  Yes, writing is much better
than simply being a flaky woman muttering to herself.

Although I’d write if I had no
readers…the main reason I write is for my readers.  I love hearing about things I’ve done right
so that I can duplicate it in future books. 



 I came across an interesting post (in my lurking) recently—“Dear
Writers: Success Is Mattering to Somebody” by Kyran Pittman.  Her takeaway point (the whole post was
inspiring, I thought):

You don’t
have to be the next big thing to be a success in writing, or in anything else.
You just have to make the next thing that matters to someone and go on to make
the next thing after that. One thing that matters after the other, for as long
as you can. That’s work anyone can be proud of.

She summed it up well.  The reader emails, the positive reviews, the
encouraging notes on Facebook—those are what keep me writing in the public area
(I’d never stop writing, privately).  And
they also function as quality control…I hate disappointing readers.  That’s the reason I keep plowing ahead,
trying to get better, sucking it up during the days when I know I’ve written
some really awful passages.  I’ll fix the
story, I’ll improve, I’ll deliver something for readers to enjoy…and if some
don’t enjoy it, I can try to pull out the constructive criticism to build with
next time.  

What keeps you going? 
 Image: MorgueFile: mercucio2

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





 

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming)
which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search
engine for writers.




November 13-14:  Get
Read – Marketing Strategies for Writers: Dan Blank’s We Grow Media is a  two-day online conference for authors looking
for promotion strategies--and, ultimately, readers.  Speakers include Porter
Anderson, Chuck Wendig, Dan Blank, Jane
Friedman, Therese Walsh, and many
others.  (I'm one of the scheduled
speakers and am also am serving on the advisory board.)  More information about the conference and
registration information can be found here.




If you use the
discount code elizabeth, you receive $20
off the conference price.

Check out the new
resource for writers.  It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure
Writer’s Support Group website.  There you’ll find pages of links to
resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing,
marketing, contests, and publications for writers.




20
questions to ask when creating your setting: http://dld.bz/cTcAm
@daycathy @jtdutton





Believable Characters: Applying
Personality Types: http://dld.bz/cTcAv
@JuliaReffner








Free writing
sprint/virtual retreat from @DIYMFA Nov. 16-17 offers
motivation and tips for finishing your book: http://bit.ly/1hkZYv8


What Do Your Characters Falsely Believe? http://dld.bz/cTf8g @jamigold

A test of standing desks--more proof they
make you productive: http://dld.bz/cTf8j

Reasons why horror is important as a
genre: http://dld.bz/cTf8r @kevinlucia

Writers & Inspiration: 5 Things to
Consider: http://dld.bz/cTf8z @YAmuses

The Key to an Unforgettable Opening Line:
http://dld.bz/cTf85 @paperblanks

Looking at control as a theme in books: http://dld.bz/cTf8A @CuriosityQuills

The Value of Planning Your Ebook: http://dld.bz/cTf8C @ninaamir

Write Your Book: A Guide to Getting
Started and Staying Productive: http://dld.bz/cTf8K
@KDillabough

Writers: Break The Rules—Run With
Scissors: http://dld.bz/cTf8U

The Heightened Sensitivity of Romance
Readers: http://dld.bz/cTf8W @PacificStand

Middle-grade novels for girls vs boys: http://dld.bz/cTf9c @glencstrathy

Breaking Into the Comic Book Industry: http://dld.bz/cTf9h @jasonboog

A site for getting ideas: http://dld.bz/cTf92

It's time to kill the idea that Amazon is
killing independent bookstores: http://dld.bz/cTf98
@qz @passivevoiceblg

What Drives a Book Reviewer to Drink: http://dld.bz/cTf9C @stefanvucak

Are We Too Concerned That Characters Be
'Likable'? http://dld.bz/cTf9J @mohsin_hamid

Mining Your Manuscript for Modifiers: http://dld.bz/cTf9N @AimeeLSalter

Is Pinterest Right for You? http://dld.bz/cTf9R @authormedia

Why Authors Should Believe in Their
Websites: http://dld.bz/cTjRf @fictionnotes

How to handle receiving an addendum to
your contract: http://dld.bz/cTjRr
@kristinerusch

12 Facebook Groups for Writers: http://dld.bz/cTjRC @thewritelife

3 Ways to Find Better-Paying Freelance
Writing Jobs: http://dld.bz/cTjRV @ticewrites

Writing and the Creative Life: Mind
Wandering: http://dld.bz/cTjSf
@gointothestory

10 Characters That Turned to the Dark
Side: http://dld.bz/cTjSh @rajanyk

Anticipating Reader Wants: http://dld.bz/cTjRx @Kid_Lit

Tag the Trait: The Game of Character
Description: http://dld.bz/cTcAF
@WyattGBessing

5 ways to see if your novel is ready to
face the world: http://dld.bz/cTkZb @rxena77

What Do You Do When Your Muse Is On
Vacation? http://dld.bz/cTkZc @write_practice

The Tension (and Relationship) Between
Creating and Consuming: http://dld.bz/cTkZd
@thatguyKC

Dealing With Telling and Backstory in an
Opening Scene: http://dld.bz/cTkZf
@janice_hardy

Be sure, as a writer, to listen to
yourself: http://dld.bz/cTkZg @hughhowey

Want to Be Successful? Beware of
End-of-the-Rainbow Thinking: http://dld.bz/cTkZj
@kristenlambtx

Story structure in Harry Potter:  How Rowling became a billionaire by following
the rules: http://dld.bz/cTkZ3

World-building Tip: 15 Details to
Remember: http://dld.bz/cTkZT @ava_jae

Getting Real About Writer's Burn Out and
Social Media Demands: http://dld.bz/cTkZV
@cateartios

Write More Easily: Understanding,
Embracing and Moving Beyond Resistance: http://dld.bz/cTmab
@aliventures

Why Don't Publishers Believe in Author
Websites? http://dld.bz/cTmaR @janefriedman

Exploiting Your Rights: http://dld.bz/cTmaY @susankayequinn

Emotional Barrier in Fiction: Why is it
so important for you to learn how to cross it? http://dld.bz/cTmba
@NakedEditor

Branding 101: What Is Your Brand? http://dld.bz/cTmbw @jamigold

A Warp Speed Analysis on the Influence of
SF: http://dld.bz/cTmb4 @SmartBear

Writing the Opening Scene: http://dld.bz/cTmb6 @janice_hardy

Rowling's outline and The Book
Architecture Method: How they both can push your writing to a new level: http://dld.bz/cTmbA

The Slow Release—Not the End of the
World: http://dld.bz/cTpFM

Punctuation with Conjunctions: http://dld.bz/cTpFS @writing_tips

5 Ways to Pace Your Story: http://dld.bz/cTpFY

Writing the High ROI Screenplay: http://dld.bz/cTpGp @joeteevee

Write What You Love: http://dld.bz/cTpGr @jamesscottbell

Handling showing vs. telling: http://dld.bz/cTpGQ @Margo_L_Dill

How long should it take to write a novel?
http://dld.bz/cTpKr

Write YA When You Don't Read YA? http://dld.bz/cTpK7 @KaitGetsLit @womenwriters

4 Reasons Your Concept Counts Above All
Else: http://dld.bz/cTpKT @Bang2write

The Ultimate Story Checklist: http://dld.bz/cTpMc @cockeyedcaravan

Are you an author or a publisher? How
indies are making their own rules: http://dld.bz/cTpMK
@nailyournovel

Your Non-Fiction Self-Publishing To Do
List: http://dld.bz/cTpMQ @theprexpert

Why Your Book Pitch Matters (Even If
You're Self-Published): http://dld.bz/cTqVy
@JFBookman

4 Ways To Reach The Right Audience For
Your Book: http://dld.bz/cTqVD @ebooksandkids

20 Literary Tumblrs: http://dld.bz/cTqVP @BuzzFeeders

How to Use Free Public Domain Art: http://dld.bz/cTrPD @Louise_Myers

17 Problems Only Book Lovers Will
Understand: http://dld.bz/cTrQh @BuzzFeeders

10 Ways to Use Audio to Sell More Books: http://dld.bz/cTrQj @bookgal

4 Ways to Sell eBooks Directly to
Readers: http://dld.bz/cTrRS @PaulaatAME

Discovery: Another Buzzword We're
Wrestling to Understand: http://dld.bz/cTrSg
@bookgal

How to Get Your Book Reviewed On Amazon: http://dld.bz/cTrSy @CathyStucker

5 Profitable Places To Sell Your Books: http://dld.bz/cTrS4 @FutureofInk

Authors and book clubs: http://dld.bz/cTrSQ

How to Choose Keywords and Categories for
Your Kindle eBook: http://dld.bz/cTrTe
@FreelanceSw

Video Marketing – Trick or Treat? http://dld.bz/cTrUz

12 novelists tell their scariest
bite-size stories: http://dld.bz/cTtYY @salon

Why You Should Be Blogging Your Origin
Story: http://dld.bz/cTum8 @JFBookman

Expose the inner thoughts of your
protagonist: http://dld.bz/cTumF

What Terrifies Teens In Today's Young
Adult Novels? The Economy: http://dld.bz/cTuqh
@valdesmarcela @nprbooks

Writing Secrets from Cheesy Halloween
Movies: http://dld.bz/cTu8R @jeffgoins

Writers' Halloween Fear List: http://dld.bz/cTu9n @RMFWriters

NaNoWriMo: Should You Participate?Plus
NaNoWriMo Comics, Musicals and Songs: http://dld.bz/cTvv5
@inkyelbows

Literature's haunted houses: http://dld.bz/cTweQ @guardianbooks

Don't rush to publish: http://dld.bz/cTwj2 @Porter_Anderson

Using Villains to Shape Your Hero: http://dld.bz/cTwNa

Killing the Top 10 Sacred Cows of
Publishing:Book as Event: http://dld.bz/cRE6D
@deanwesleysmith

The View From Book Six: http://dld.bz/cTwNA @megrosoff

Tips on Upping The Stakes: http://dld.bz/cTwNS @JHBogran @angelaackerman

7 fulfilling writing careers: http://dld.bz/cTwPj @thewritelife

50 Cliched Dialogues to Ban From Your
Script: http://dld.bz/cTwPG @Mentorless

17 Struggles Of Getting Ready For
NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/cTwt9

7 Haunted Libraries From Around the
World: http://dld.bz/cTund @paperblanks

How to Avoid the Self-Published Look: http://dld.bz/cTum6 @PaulaatAME

5 Tips for Creating an Urban Fantasy
World: http://dld.bz/cQGnW @cairnswrites

The 7 Most Common Misconceptions About
Science Fiction Publishing: http://dld.bz/cN5FJ
@io9

What to know about writing memoir: http://dld.bz/cTzTV @MacGregorLit

Reinventing your book: Reinventing the
Length: http://dld.bz/cTzUm @TheresaStevens

Ten Things an Author Should (or
Shouldn't) Do: http://dld.bz/cTzUv
@Martinthewriter

What to Expect From Working With A Book
Publicist: http://dld.bz/cTzUx @theprexpert

Adding mystery into a story: http://dld.bz/cTmQ3 @PAShortt

Those who stick with print books just
want to show off: http://dld.bz/cTnb4
@AndrewCouts @Porter_Anderson

Reasons to write for free: http://dld.bz/cTtcC @alexisgrant

As Amazon faces disappointment in its
publishing arm, is the company really in retreat? http://dld.bz/cTpnt
@Porter_Anderson

Keeping readers interested in a mystery
when they know the culprit from the start: http://dld.bz/cTsBX
@mkinberg

What Makes NaNoWriMoNoGo for Two Writers:
http://dld.bz/cTu8J @Porter_Anderson
@ChuckWendig

Character types in romantic suspense: http://dld.bz/cTxNj @camillelaguire

All about National Novel Writing Month: http://dld.bz/cTtZm @fantasyfaction